Siege of Fort Pulaski

The Siege of Fort Pulaski occurred from 10 to 11 April 1862 during the American Civil War.

Fort Pulaski, guarding the port of Savannah, Georgia from Cockspur Island on the Savannah River, was seized by secessionist volunteer militia on 3 January 1861, and Georgia seceded 16 days later and joined the Confederacy. On 24 November 1861, months into the American Civil War, the US Navy advanced on Fort Pulaski, and Union forces on Tybee Island and Samuel F. DuPont's fleet laid siege to the fort for 112 days. The US Navy's use of rifled guns made the coastal defenses obsolete, and the fort was forced to surrender after an assault from 10-11 April 1862. The fall of Fort Pulaski choked off the Savannah River, closing the vital Confederate port of Savannah, which was no longer able to export cotton.